1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector for a hard disk drive assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Most computer systems include a massive memory storage device such as a hard disk drive. Hard disk drive units contain a magnetic disk that is rotated by a spin motor. The drive unit also has a head that magnetizes and senses the magnetic field of the disk. The head is typically located at the end of an actuator arm which can move relative to the magnetic disk. The actuator arm, motor and other components of a typical disk drive unit are relatively small and fragile, and are therefore susceptible to damage when subjected to excessive external loads or vibration. For this reason, hard disk drives are usually rigidly mounted to the housing of the computer system by screws or other fastening means.
Hard disk drives contain programs and other information that are vital to the user. It is sometimes desirable to transfer such information to a different computer system. Transferring programs from a hard disk typically requires loading the information onto a floppy disk, or sending such information over a phone line. Such methods can be time consuming, particularly if the program is long or there is a large amount of data. There have been developed portable hard disk drives which can be plugged into a slot in the computer. To reduce the amount of possible component damage to the drive unit, the housing and assembly are typically constructed to be quite rugged. These rugged assemblies are heavy and bulky, and generally impractical to carry and store.
The Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) has promulgated specifications for portable memory cards which can be plugged into slots within a computer. The PCMCIA standard includes a type I format, a type II format and a type III format, each format being distinguished by a different card thickness. Memory can be added to a computer by merely plugging in an additional card. Similarly, a modem or facsimile (FAX) card can be added to a system with the push of the hand. The standardized format of the cards allows a user to plug the memory card of one computer into another computer regardless of the type or make of either system.
The standardized cards are approximately the size of a credit card and include a connector which mates with a connector in the computer. The assignee of the present application has developed hard disk drive units which meet the type III format of the PCMCIA standard. The type III disk drives typically mount the connector to a printed circuit board within the housing of the drive unit, by soldering the leads of the connector to surface pads on the circuit board. Any relative movement between the connector and the circuit board will induce stress in the leads. Such movement may occur when the drive unit is inserted and removed from the host computer. Repeated insertions may cause the solder joints and leads to fatigue and break, thereby rendering the disk drive inoperable. The structural integrity of the solder leads can be improved by mounting the connector to the printed circuit board with screws. Requiring screws increases the assembly time and cost of the drive unit, particularly screws small enough to meet the height requirements of the PCMCIA standard. It would be desirable to have a PCMCIA type disk drive which has a connector that is rigidly mounted to the printed circuit board without using any fasteners.